The present invention is directed to systems and methods for managing special services, and especially to coordinating provision of emergency services to satisfy an emergency need at a site.
In situations that require special services at a site remote from people or equipment capable of rendering the required service, there is a need to dispatch the needed personnel or equipment to the site at which the services are required. One exemplary such situation is when there is a need for emergency services such as fire, police or emergency medical services. In emergency service situations, the need to quickly and efficiently provide appropriate personnel and equipment on-scene is often critical.
Communication systems presently available to dispatchers include, for example, two-way radio systems, cellular telephone systems and pager systems. Such systems are commonly used to notify personnel or units of the existence of an emergency situation that may require their participation, or such systems may be employed to dispatch units to an emergency site. None of the presently employed communication systems provide a dispatcher with any understanding of the real-time geographic location a respective person or unit or a real-time understanding of equipment available or the training level of personnel available for service.
There is a need for a system and method for managing, or coordinating a response to a need, such as providing emergency services, at a site that provides appropriate real-time information to a dispatcher for quick response to the extant situation with appropriate equipment and properly trained personnel.
There is a need for a system and method for managing, or coordinating a response to a need, such as providing emergency services, at a site that quickly identifies the composition and location of available resources (e.g., properly trained personnel and equipment) to assist timely and efficient deployment of needed resources to the site.
A system for managing response to a need at a site includes: (a) a control facility; having a control wireless communication unit that is capable of effecting wireless data communication and voice communication; and (b) a plurality of response units, each having a respective response wireless communication unit that is capable of effecting wireless data communication and voice communication. The control facility identifies the need and the site. The control facility effects an initial contact with at least one selected response unit of the plurality of response units using wireless data communication. The at least one selected response unit communicates a response signal to the initial contact using wireless data communication. The response signal includes characteristic data relating to the at least one selected responding unit. The characteristic data includes information relating to situs of the at least one selected responding unit.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for managing, or coordinating a response to a need at a site that identifies resources in terms of their geographic location.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system and method for managing, or coordinating a response to a need at a site that identifies resources in terms of their available equipment.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a system and method for managing, or coordinating a response to a need at a site that identifies resources in terms of the training of personnel.
Further objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are labeled using like reference numerals in the various figures, illustrating the preferred embodiments of the invention.